this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2024
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How come LED Light Bulbs only last for about 2-3 Years?

I've bought and replaced a lot of light bulbs, and I noticed that all of them said "up to 20,000 hours" which would be about 5 years given 12 hours of daily use (which we definitely don't).

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[–] [email protected] 117 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I have a dozen that run 12+ hours a day. I've had 1 fail in 5 years.

Don't buy cheap LEDs, and don't put them in enclosures that trap heat.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Speaking from experience: LED drivers hate dirty power. If they burn out frequently, check the wiring for damage. I probably avoided a house fire.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

As an EE graduate I want to hear more about what dirt means and what driver can be affected by it. I'd expect power electronics to stand 100% over voltage over short periods and easy 20% long term, which would blow up lots of other things on the house before the driver or the LED starts performing worse.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago

Dirty power? Aww geez it's been a few years since I last washed and waxed my power lines. Guess I gotta open up the walls again.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

That's a good point. LEDs dislike unstable power a LOT more than incandescent or fluorescent.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Yep. When I moved into my house the previous owner had used all garbage Walmart LED’s. I think I had one fail each month and just bought a bunch on sale from Phillips eventually.

Most common failure was the driver. So they turned into strobe lights lol. Most annoying failure ever.

And more importantly, not every LED is dimmer compatible. Sometimes they’re super picky or just plain don’t work.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oh dang, a cheap driver is probably $0.50 cheaper than a half decent one that can take the hit.

In Australia anything has 12 months warranty by law, this factory would bankrupt quick.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Can you recommend which ones to buy? I have the strobe light problem and it is indeed very annoying

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

The strobe light problem might also be caused by putting a LED that's not dimmer-compatible on a dimmer switch

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Generally I don’t buy anything else other than Phillips. They’re usually bulletproof if you don’t get the smart bulbs. I’ve not had a Phillips fail in ~10 years. But that’s a sample size of like 30 or so bulbs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

While I've had a Philips fail, it was due to environmental reasons. Otherwise, Philips bulbs have lasted me literal years for hours every day.

I also run General Electric bulbs, and they've also lasted years.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

I have Cree, Amazon and IKEA. Those all seem to last about the same.